We are pleased to announce that the 2019 Nature Up North calendar photocontest results are in!

Each year, you share hundreds of photos and observations with us here on natureupnorth.org as Encounters. For the sixth year running, we're excited to be sharing some of our favorite photos from the previous year through our printed wall calendar. In addition to stunning local photography, our calendars also feature Nature Notes highlighting seasonal wildlife behavior to look for each month.

Happiness may be elusive, but it sure has spawned a lot of aphorisms. Folk-wisdom indicates one can be happy as a pig in poop—or in mud, which makes me wonder if those two hogs are equally content, and if they had other options. It also suggests you can be pleased as a pig in a peach orchard, which would make sense unless harvest season was over.

Watertown is poised to become an Emerald City, but that’s not good news. Jefferson and Lewis will soon be Emerald Counties, and St. Lawrence County began the process of change two years ago. Unfortunately, this kind of transformation does not involve happy endings.

Thanks for visiting the fairies this fall and leaving your notes inside! You had some really great questions, and Thimble and Blossom had so much fun answering them. They are already down in the tropics where they'll be spending the winter, but are excited to come back next spring!

Keep reading below to find your question among the others, and let us know if you have any questions. Thanks!

We eagerly await the fall season, because with it comes apples season, vibrant fall colors, and of course - visiting fairies! Our woodland fairy friends will be visiting the North Country on their migration south for the winter from October 12th - 28th. You're invited to find their homes and leave notes with your nature questions inside. Please also leave your first name and age, so the fairies can address you personally when they reply.